A discussion of the DJ creative process and contemporary DJ culture.

There’s a high level concept called The Liminality that I think is very interesting and relevant for DJs. I will try to explain the concept and then talk about how it relates to your creative work.

The limen is actually the sliver of light that peeks through when a door has been opened. So in essence when you open a door you are hit with a light, a break in the threshold between the door and a wall. The concept of The Liminality is the point you reach when you have mastered established rules and then cross over, experience a liminality, and you begin to operate within a new rule set. “During a liminal experience, you are moving from a time when you know the rules and the expectations, to a time when you must create new rules for yourself and expect the unexpected.” ( Moote, 2005, 91 )

There are times when a DJ crosses over – some of those times can be thrilling and some of those times can be frightening. You don’t know what’s on the other side of that door yet you are excited by this new light ahead of you.

Here are some exciting liminalities:

1) You’ve had a breakthrough on a new genre

2) You’ve had a happy accident and are challenged to recreate it and run with it

3) You’ve reached another level or a new set of emotions during your “zone” moment

4) You’ve garnered a response from the dancefloor with something you put on that you never expected would resonate

Here’s what can be frightening:

1) You don’t know what to do with this new information

2) You’re afraid it might change you completely or affect all the hard work you’ve been doing in one set of rules

3) While the new set of rules have presented themselves, you have anxiety on mastering another threshold

Don’t be afraid! This is growth! DJs wish they can get to the next level whatever it takes. You have to embrace your liminality, you have to walk through that door. Believe it or not you can usher in the liminality by doing some things that can help you see the light.

The first thing you need to understand is you need to be open to risk. Following the established rules of DJing only helps you get a foundation for creating. You must let go at some point and explore. “Everyone creates with the same tools, the same supplies. There is no need for risk. Just do it like the teacher (or DJ guide) says. Read the product guide or pick up any number of magazines that have been created for artists. And then you wake up one day and think, ‘I’d like to try . . .’ You create something new, just for you. Is it safe? Will it fit in? Do you care? You are on the threshold of new territory. If you keep exploring, you might find yourself in the middle of a liminal experience.” ( Moote, 2005, 92)

So now we have established what kind of mindset you need to have in order to embrace a liminal experience.

Here are some ideas on how to recognize and facilitate it.

1) Get Rid of Dead Weight

In my post on Why Do You DJ? ( here ) I talk about having passion for your discography and questioning what it contains. Now, I’m not suggesting any DJ gets rid of their music EVER ( don’t EVER do that ), but it may be time for a little housecleaning and storage. This is getting rid of some of your dead weight. Other dead weight could be some of the people you hang around with, people that don’t believe in you, don’t understand or will never understand your passion. This is not to say dump these people ( some of them may be your own family and I don’t condone dropping relationships with family and loved ones over DJing ). What I mean is being mindful of who you share your passion with. You want a supportive and understanding DJ circle. Seek out those who salute you, not rebuke you. Finally, dead weight could mean a residency or gig that is just not working for you. I know it’s hard, but think about the time you could be spending working on you instead of a soul and creative sucking gig that gets you nowhere.

2) Set Aside the Time

You need to block out time to be creative. That’s a fact. Whether it’s listening to tracks, exposing yourself to other art, practicing, or going through your DJ ritual ( I talk about ritual in my paper here ) – that time must be free of distractions and not rushed. In order to do that you need to work that time into your life somehow. You need to close the door on the outside world if your liminal door is going to open. Removing the intrusive nature of daily life and stress allows you to meditate more closely during your creative process. Call it your “DJ Time” and own it!

3) Record Yourself

A lot of DJs swear by recording their practice and live sessions. I know a lot of you don’t do that. I know why. You’re afraid of hearing the mistakes, of the potentiality of how awful you may be. I’m going to tell you that in every practice/live session there is a liminal moment. When you listen back to your session you will discover something new, something positive, something that will draw you to crossing over a threshold. It may take the form of one mix that is perfect, or an effect you place that works – you will draw at least one thing that you can build on. Who cares if the rest is crap – all it takes is just one moment in the whole thing that can inspire you to embrace a new rule set.

4) Reflect

Reflect on everything you do as a DJ. That means after a gig, thinking about what you did RIGHT. A lot of times, DJs beat themselves up about what they did WRONG. Try and change your mindset. While it’s important to think about what you did that contributed to the bad situations that happened during a gig ( or a practice session ) – reframe to what you did RIGHT, what worked, what zone moment you had, and try to trace back what you did to get there. There may be times when nothing went right in your opinion. Ok, then think about how you can learn from that experience. This is important: reflecting inserts new thoughts and ideas into your mind. Those thoughts and ideas get processed and recalled for later moments. This is about constantly refreshing your mind with new thoughts so that you can recognize in the future a liminal moment.

I know it’s a lot to consider and for every DJ their thresholds and the moments they occur are different. Recognizing that these thresholds exists, when they happen, why they happen and what you can do about them will help you greatly in your creative process. You can’t force a liminal moment, but you can recognize it for what it is – an open door to the next level.

Recap: Liminality is a threshold. Don’t be afraid of it. Drop the dead weight, make the time, record and reflect.

If you found this interesting and want to share your thoughts – drop me a line!